1st Quarter Rotating Bonus Categories (January to March 2019)

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Hope everyone is enjoying the holidays! I know I say it every quarter, but I can’t believe that the year is nearly over. With the start of the new year comes time to review the 2019 rotating bonus categories for some of our favorite cash back credit cards.

Toll roads

The bonus category of tolls is a bit quirky, but I know it will be useful for folks with quick pass readers that accept credit card payments. In fact, you may want to load up your account with funds in order to maximize the quarterly benefit.

Gas stations

For gas stations, keep in mind that the bonus only applies to standalone gas stations. Fuel purchases from other stores like Costco, Sam’s Club, or Walmart do not count toward the 5% bonus. The fine print says that truck stops, boat marinas, oil and propane distributors, and home heating companies are excluded.

Drug stores

And finally, drug stores are a useful category, especially since they sell a lot of items including gift cards. Again, like other bonus categories, just be careful with what qualifies as a drug store. In general, standalone stores (like CVS, Rite Aid, Walgreens, etc.) will count, but pharmacies inside of supermarkets or wholesale clubs are usually excluded.

Discover It

The Discover It is a great way to earn cash back (which you can put toward your travel budget)

Grocery stores

With the grocery store bonus category, you’ll also want to be careful with the type of stores that qualify. Standalone grocery stores are generally included, but convenience stores, gas stations, warehouse clubs, discount stores, and supercenters are not eligible. Since these places are not standalone grocery stores, the charges are encoded differently, which means that they usually do not earn the bonus.

Earlier this year, Discover released their entire bonus calendar for 2019. I’m curious to see whether this will pressure the other issuers to share their calendars as well. If anything, it’s nice being able to see ahead and plan accordingly. I’m excited to see gas purchases, restaurants, ride-sharing, and Amazon.com as bonus categories in 2019.

US Bank Cash+

The US Bank Cash+ is a versatile cash back card

For the US Bank Cash+ card, we’re not seeing anything new this quarter. If you’re not familiar with the card, US Bank allows you to pick your rotating 5% categories every quarter and also has 2% categories where you can earn unlimited cashback. They even let you earn the 5% bonus on up to $2000 of spend per quarter on the combined selected bonus categories, which is even better than the Chase Freedom. I recently got this card, so I’ll likely be selecting gym and home utilities are my 5% categories for the new quarter.

Citi Dividend

Though it’s no longer available for new applicants, the Citi Dividend remains a popular cash back rewards card

Lastly, Citi Dividend users are ending the fourth quarter bonus category on purchases from Best Buy and department stores, and for the first quarter of 2019, will be receiving 5% at gas stations and Home Depot. Keep in mind that the Citi Dividend card has a yearly award bonus cap of $300 per calendar year, which means that you’re not as restricted by a specific quarter’s bonus. Though you’ll need to track how much bonus you’ve earned over the entire calendar year.

Reminder: Activate the bonus!

As a reminder, make sure to log-in and activate the bonus for these cards. While you can wait until March 14th to activate your Chase Freedom bonus category since Chase will award the points retroactively, you’re better off doing it now before you forget. Unfortunately, Discover, US Bank, and Citi won’t award you a bonus until you activate it, so do it now so you don’t miss out.

Keeping track of the changes

Download a free copy of our popular wallet-sized reminder card

As always, we’ve put together a wallet-sized “cheat sheet” that you can download for free. I know that it takes a while before the new categories get set in my brain. If you need a little reminder, we hope that card comes in handy. We recommend keeping a copy in your wallet, car, and desk.

Download the wallpaper version for your smartphone!

For those of you who prefer a more digital solution, we also have wallpaper images that you can use as your smartphone lock screen. It’s available in three different versions:

Interested in applying?

As of December 2018, the Chase Freedom and US Bank Cash+ are offering a $150 welcome bonus (after spending $500 within 90 days of opening an account) and Discover is offering a cashback match for an entire year. In case you’re wondering about the Citi Dividend card, it’s no longer available for new applicants. Though you can get it through a product change from another Citi card.